Water scooter



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Dec. 23, 1958 C. L;--MOODY, JR

WATER SCOOTER Filed Dec. 19, 1955 L 3 8 INVENTOR.

FIG. 3

United States Patent 6 WATER SCOOTER Clarence L. Moody, Jr., Elk City, Okla. Application December 19, 1955, Serial No. 553,851

,4 Claims. (Cl. 9-21) The present invention relates to aquatic sports, particularly to water skiing and more particularly to a water ski provided with a seat and steering mechanism.

The sport of water skiing at present requires the participant to maintain the balance of himself and the ski adjacent the surface of the water while standing on the ski and grasping the tow line. This places'a considerable amount of strain on both the arms or arms and legs of the person on the ski.

It is therefore the principal object of this invention to provide a water ski equipped with a seat and steering mechanism'which will relieve the operator of the strain, normally exerted on the arms and legs in maintaining a balance while thereon, when holding to the towing line.

Another object is to provide a device of this class, which might well be termed, a water scooter, and which may be balanced in an upright position during forward motion in a manner similar to riding a two-wheeled scooter or a bicycle.

An additional object is to provide a water ski with a removable frame and steering mechanism for using the :ski in a conventional manner if desired. 1

Another object is to provide a device of this class which utilizes a water tight hollow frame to add to the buoyancy f the device.

A further object is to provide a water scooter which has a steering mechanism which rnay be used simultaneously for guiding the device from side to side and maintaining the device balanced adjacent the surface of the water.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by equipping a conventional water ski with ahollow, preferably water tight frame. The frameis preferably somewhat rectangular in general configuration, transversely narrower than the ski, and having upwardly converging sides and end walls. The frame is removably connected centrally to the upper surface of the ski. A steering column journaled adjacent the forward end of the frame is provided with a rudder depending from the lower surface of the ski. A pair of handle bars connected to the upper end of the steering column enables the operator to control the rudder. A seat is provided on the upper surface of the frame adjacent the rearward end thereof. A spray deflector is carried by the forward end of the frame and serves as a foot rest. A depending vertical stabilizer is rigidly carried longitudinally by the rearward end of the ski as an aid in maintaining the balance of the device.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is a top view of the device;

Figure 2 is an elevational side view;'and

Figures 3 and 4 are vertical cross sectional views taken substantially along lines 3-3 and 4'4, respectively, of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

In carrying out the invention a conventional water ski 10 is equipped adjacent the central portion of its upper surface with a hollow water tight box-like frame or housing 12, constructed of wood or any light weight material. The frame 12 includes a substantially rectangular bottom 14, which is narrower transversely than the upper surface 16 of the ski. Long'itudinally the bottom 14 of the frame is preferably substantially shorter than the length of the ski 10. Adjacent each end, the bottom 14 is provided with a perforated lip or flange 18, by which the frame 12 is removably connected to the upper surface of the ski 10 by bolts 20. The frame 12 has a front end 22 and a rear end 24 converging upwardly. The sides 26 and 28, respectively, also converge upwardly and terminate, with the end walls 22 and 24, in a top or upper surface 30, parallel with relation to the bottom 14. The bottom 14 and top 30 are shown in the drawings as converging forwardly, but it is to be understood that such a feature, while pleasing in appearance, is not necessary for the eflicient operation of the device. Adjacent the forward end or front 22, the frame is provided with a tubate member 32 extending between the top 30 and the bottom 14, and is sealed water tight therewith. The top 30, bottom 14 and ski 10 are alignedly perforated in co-operative communication with the bore of the member 32, for

journaling a rod-like steering column 34, which projects upwardly above the frame 12 a selected distance and downwardly below the lower surface 38 of the ski. A rudder 36, of a selected length, is rigidly connected at one end to the lower end of the column 34 and extends rearwardly therefrom in edgewise depending perpendicular relation with relation to the lower surface 38 of the ski. The column 34 is he held within the member 32, against vertical movement by any suitable means such as the pin or cotter key and spacer 40, adjacent the top 30,

- thus holding the rudder adjacent the bottom 38 of the ski.

A pair of handle bars 42, which may be conventional bicycle handle bars if desired, are rigidly connected in any suitable manner to the upper end of the steering column 34, with the'free ends of the bars extending rearwardly for the purpose of manually pivoting the column 34 and the rudder 36.

A seat 44 is carried by the rearward end of the top 30. The length of thetop 30 and the spacing between the seat 44 and the handle bars 42, is such that it is convenient for a person occupying the seat to grasp the handle bars.

A foot rest spray deflector or splash board 46, preferably of sheet material, is longitudinally slotted to receive the forward end portion of the frame therein, and is rigidly connected at the slotted end 47 to the sides 26 and 28, respectively, of the frame adjacent the bottom 14 by dowel pins 48. The deflector 46 extends forwardly and upwardly from the frame 12 and has its forward end 50 arcuately curved and substantially wider transversely than the frame 12 and the ski 10. The opposing sides of the deflector 46 converge arcuately toward the rear end 47.

Rearwardly, the lower surface 38 of the ski is provided with a rigidly connected longitudinally extending vertical stabilizer or fin 52, of a selected length.

A ring 54 is rigidly connected to the forward end 22 of the frame for connecting a towing line or rope 56, by which a motor boat, not shown, pulls the device over the water which is indicated by the line 58.

Operation The operator seated on the seat 44 grasps the handle bars 42 and places his feet adjacent the outer sides of the frame 12 on the deflector 46. As the device is pulled forwardly by the tow line 56, the device will rest or ride adjacent the surface of the water 58 in approximately the relative position as shown in Fig. 2. The operator maintains his balance and the balance of the device by slight pivoting movement of the steering column 34 by means of the handle barsAZ. This moves or pivots the rudder 36 from side to side, which ,aets tozma intain e er or. gravi y-a u e!" 9, opsratov a ma n mi o lanein r sy lsr the,-.rear end of the rudder. -36 tqward t I e left. to. guide. theqski 19 toward ;,the. rightand -under; the. operator. to maintain.hi s ,balance=. The purpgsegofflhe fin 52 is to co -act.,with the rudder 36 .111 preventing lateral moveski asthe I'UddCInSfi is.pi.v,oted.f1zom side toTside, Obviously the;rudder.;36;;mayybe pivoted-to guidethe device from side .to sidexearwardly; of: the, towing boat. Simiy, .the .:frame/12, and itsgassociatedrparts may beeasily removed; from,. the.ski.; ;to .permit its use in a conventionalmannerwhen. desired.

Obviously-the invention is susceptible, to ,some changeor alteration:;withoutdefeating; its practicability, and I.

saidframe,havingupwardly converging side walls and end.

walls terminatiugin amupper-surface. parallel with relation. to. .thebottom. surface; meanscarried by the forward.

end; of said:frame for ;connect-ing..a tow linethereto; an open .ended tubate. memberextending-vertically between the upper. surface andztheabottom; .of, said frame, adjacent the. forwardend thereof; andasealedwater'tig ht therewith; a steering. columnrotatably carried. by said member, said column extendingabove said frame and extending downwardly through said;.runn e1:; a, rudder rigidly connectedat one.end to the.lower end of said column and extending.rearwardly.therefrom adjacent the, lower surface of said runner;.handlew barsconnected-to. the

upper end of said column for guidingsaidjrudder; a seat carried by the upper surfaceof saidframe adjacent the rear end thereof; a forwardly extending upwardly in- If,. for example, I, the operator and, .devicelean .0 r;.,star t ;falli ng to the ;righ t, the. handle :bars42. rare-turned in, thisdirec on, which moves clined splash guard carried by opposite sides of the forward portion of said frame in spaced relation above said runner, said splash guard terminating forwardly of the frame and rearwardly of the forward end of said runner in an arcuate-edged end of substantially greater width than said runner; and a depending vertical stabilizer carried longitudinally by the rearward end of said runner for co-acting with said rudder and maintaining a balance of said scooter adjacent thesurface of-the water.

2. A water-scooter for towing on water, including: a water ski; a substantially rectangular hollowbox-like water tight vertically.,disposed. edgewise frame removably mounted centrally on the upper surface of said ski and adapted to project1upwardly,of--the surface of the water when the ski is being towed, the transverse width of said frame being less than the width of said ski and adapted to be straddled by an operator; a tubate member extending-between the-upper,and .lower surfaces of said frame and sealed water tight therewith; a steeringcolumn; journaled by said; member, said column extending above.

said.frame. .andextending downwardly through said ski;

a, rudder;rigidly-connectedat one end to the lower end of said columnand extending rearwardly therefrom adjacentthe lower-surfaceof saidski; and handle bars connected to theupper end .of said column for pivoting said. rudder and balancing said scooter adjacent the surface of the water.

3. Structure;as specified.in claim 2, and a depending vertical stabilizer carried longitudinally by the rearward endofsaidekifor coracting with' said rudder by preventing.lateralmovementof said ski in maintainingthe balancetof said scooter.

board terminating forwardly of the frame and rearwardly of the. forward -end of'said, ski in an arcuate end edge of substantially greater width than said ski.

References Cited, in the file. of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,382,150 Hartmann Aug. 14, 1945 2,721,088 Ritter Oct. 18,. 1955' 2,748,400 Kregall' June 5, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS France- Dec. 15, 1954" 

